5 Christmas driving mistakes to avoid

Looking forward to a break? Here’s five tips that will help you enjoy your Christmas holiday travel more!

Check your tyre tread

Checking the tread on your tyres is often overlooked [seriously, who looks way down there!?] Your tyres must have 1.4mm or more tread depth to be legal. Tyre wear can increase through incorrect tyre pressure, so make sure you routinely check them – especially before a long journey

Up to 20% of drink drivers are caught between 6:00am and midday

You’re still labelled a drink driver if you drive under the influence the morning after a night out. It’s a common scenario: the morning after the Christmas work party, you think you’re fine to drive. You’re stopped to be breathalysed to discover you’re over the limit.

Unsure if you’re OK to drive? You probably aren’t. Best to use public transport, grab a cab or a lift from a mate.

Keep a safe distance

Around 30% of all crashes are rear-ended. With busy roads come frustrated drivers, you won’t get there any quicker by tailgating.

As soon as you start to feel annoyed about the traffic ahead, take a deep breath and slow down until you’re a safe distance away from the car in front. This should be roughly a two second gap, or four seconds if conditions are poor.

Use indicators properly

Indicators are designed to warn the car behind that you’ll be turning soon. Too often drivers will brake or start to turn before indicating, which is pointless.

Not only is this frustrating for the car behind but it’s dangerous. Assume that every other car on the road isn’t paying attention and give them plenty of opportunity to react.

Remove this blindfold while driving this Christmas

Turn off your phone or place it on silent and put it somewhere you can’t see it.

The world won’t end.

In the time it takes you to reply to a text, at 60km/h, you will have travelled the distance of an Olympic sized swimming pool. Imagine driving that length “blind”.

If you have to take a call or send a text, stop on the side of the road.